Wesson44

I would rather draft Burton a true FS other than move Jenkins from CB to FS

I agree with you about his attitude, but you have got to look at what he does on the field too. Last year he had 69 catches for 1042 yards and 10 TD'S. Who on the Bears even came close to that other than Forte's 58 catches? Your running back should not be leading the team in catches"if you are a running team" We had no threat downfield on the other side of Hester so Orton was just looking to throw to him or Oslen. But if you put TO in the mix then the teams will have to play the pass evenly between To on one side and Hester on the other. This will take away the 8 man in the box and give us more options in the run game

How old is he now? I would bring him in for a work out to see if he could out run Davis and Bennett. If he still has it then yes I would pull the trigger for a two year deal and still draft DHB or Nicks

Macklin or DNB in the first Briton or OT from Oregon in rd2 Burton FS in the 3rd

Hell yes, and the draft Nicks or Britt and cut Daiis then you have a good crop of WR and one loud mouth to bring the Monster of the Midway attitude back. It would be starting TO and Hester with Bennett, Nicks the other Devin and Rideau in the back up roles and or slot or put Hester in the slot

IMHO i think we are talking 2-6 WR with the Draft pick #18/or FA, Hester, Bennett, Devin Aromashodu Davis,Rideau. Bookers gone, Llyod has not be signed and is a FA, Rudy Carpenter, John Broussard PS players won't make the team. Now if you look at these players it goes like this Both Devins (Hester &Aromashodu) are speed guys like 4.3 to 4.4 fourty types. Bennett & Davis are slot guys, Rideau and whoever will be the pocession WR, But just think about how Macklin, Nicks, DHB, or Britt will fit in with this group Or if we could get Harrison(to old for me),Holt, Walker from the Raiders we could do a few things in the passing game.

IMHO all the players you just brought up are FA for some reason right? They must be bad at the position they played at for their old team. The more reason not to bring them here. Like for example we have Hamilton we got last year at CB. Now you tell me other than holding a roster spot what has he done..........drum roll please.......NOTHING to improve thee Bears.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Today marks the beginning of a regular feature on ChicagoBears.com. Senior writer Larry Mayer will sit down with general manager Jerry Angelo to discuss the most pressing issues involving the Bears on the first and third Wednesdays of each month during the offseason and every Wednesday throughout the season. This unique feature will provide you with inside information directly from Jerry that you can’t get anywhere else. Jerry will candidly discuss relevant issues affecting the Bears that avid fans are most interested in. We hope you enjoy the first installment. LM: After the 2008 season ended, you said that you believed in Kyle Orton and liked some of the things he did, but you needed to see more before anointing him the long-term solution at the position. You also indicated that the Bears were fixated on getting the quarterback position stabilized. With all that in mind, why are the Bears seemingly not interested in pursuing a veteran in free agency or via a trade? Quarterback Kyle Orton has compiled a 21-12 career record as a starter, including 15-2 at Soldier Field. JA: When you talk about bringing in a quarterback, that requires a few things that we have to keep in mind. If you bring him in now, you’re bringing in a veteran to compete to start. We’ve done that. Really we did that last year with Kyle [Orton] and Rex [Grossman], so we had co-starters. That creates a competition, which was the right thing to do last year given our situation. But it takes away reps from the starting quarterback because you’re dividing those and certainly it does for the backup quarterbacks as well. Given the players that potentially could be out there, we thought that Kyle was as good or better given our situation. To bring in somebody to compete to start to me was running up and down the starting line and really was hurting Kyle’s progress. We had our meetings and we felt very good about the players we have presently—obviously Kyle, talking about Caleb Hanie’s continued development, and we like what we saw in Brett Basanez from college and when he was with Carolina in the preseason. Now is that to say that we couldn’t look for a veteran after the draft? That’s a possibility. We haven’t ruled that out. To do it then, that veteran would have had a chance to see what his value is, and it might be a little bit more palatable for him to come in and compete for a backup job versus if you sign him now. In terms of a trade, trades are very difficult to do. I know there was a lot of talk about Matt Cassel. The real problem with the Matt Cassel trade from my perspective was the contract. He had signed his franchise tag, which was approximately $15 million, so that means that in the ’09 season he has a $15 million guaranteed contract in hand. To do something now in terms of a new contract, that’s going to be an exorbitant amount of money, which is fine if you know for sure he’s the guy. It’s a little bit easier for Kansas City and Denver to feel good about him because they were with him (new Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli and new Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels worked with Cassel in New England). But to bring somebody in and say he is the guy and pay him an exorbitant amount of money given that he’s guaranteed $15 million in ’09, that’s why most teams were cautious about going forward. It wasn’t the draft compensation. It was the contract that people were focusing on. He did a nice job [in 2008]. But let’s not forget who he was with. He was with the New England Patriots; a pretty good football team with a good supporting cast and a great system. Is that guy going to be the same guy in another system with different personnel around him? It’s hard to say. He did a fine job, so there were rewards with him. But there was great risk as well. LM: Why haven’t the Bears tried to sign any of this year’s big-name free agents such as wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh or safety Brian Dawkins, both of whom are productive veterans who seemingly would provide major upgrades? JA: Houshmandzadeh is a fine receiver. Would we have entertained him? Yes, but we wanted to see what his marketplace was. In this case, we felt like [what he received from the Seahawks] was an exorbitant amount of money. Remember, he was a No. 2 in Cincinnati. That’s not to say that what Seattle did wasn’t right for them; their situation is different in my mind than ours. They had an inordinate amount of injuries with receivers and they felt like they needed to get somebody that was established and healthy. A lot of teams would have liked to have had Houshmandzadeh. But he’s going to be 32 in ’09 and the price that you’re paying for that receiver we felt was very high. You have to look at economics when you look at players. Who doesn’t want Houshmandzadeh? But you have to look at the economics: What are the implications to the cap going forward and what does that prevent us from doing in other areas within our team and/or in free agency? With Brian Dawkins, he’s 35 years old. He’s a great player, but Philadelphia put a limit on what they were going to pay him and they know him the best. You have to understand that it’s not just, “Do you want the player?” Certainly there are players out there, but at what cost? And what does that cost do to your salary cap and to other things you may want to do internally and/or in free agency. You have to be patient as you go through this process. It’s not a matter of not wanting to spend the money. The cap is how you want to allocate the money. When we look at a player, we have to put a value on that player, and then we have to stay disciplined to stay within those parameters. With 14 players being franchised, it makes free agency less attractive, and the players that do get out in free agency are making an exorbitant amount of money because it’s a supply and demand business. LM: How much of a priority is upgrading the wide receiver position either in free agency or the draft? JA: Naturally, we’re going to look at that real hard, in all likelihood in the draft. We’re not looking for backup wide receivers. What we want are potentially starting wide receivers. We have a nucleus of receivers that we feel good about in terms of twos, threes, fours and fives, and if we carried six, a sixth receiver. Part of that ties into special teams. What we’re looking at is the top of the wide receiver position. Where does that come from? It comes with a premium receiver in free agency if there’s one out there and/or in the draft. Yes, it’s a position that we are looking at.

I would with a one or two year deal and then draft Burton at FS to back him up and learn so he can step in when we cut Sharper.

Williams, Beunning , Kruetz,Omiyale,St.Clair

So if St.Clair re-signs do we still go OT (OHER) 1st RD or WR (MACKLIN) 1st RD?

No he is not a restricted free agent because he has more than 4 years in the Nfl. We signed him to a two year contract which expires 2010, and them he is a unrestricted free agent again

IMHO it is easier to play the RT than the LT spot because most teams are right handed and line the TE up on the RT side, so he has help. The defense usually puts their best rusher on their right side over the LT

The Denver Broncos may have seriously damaged their relationship with quarterback Jay Cutler. A source close to the situation confirmed the Broncos were trying to acquire quarterback Matt Cassel from the New England Patriots by dangling Cutler, their Pro Bowl quarterback. The trade talk infuriated Cutler, who now wants to leave the Broncos. The source said the proposed trade was a three-way deal that would have sent Cassel to Denver to reunite with former Patriots offensive coordinator and new Denver head coach Josh McDaniels, Cutler to Tampa Bay and compensation from Tampa Bay to New England. Cassel and linebacker Mike Vrabel were traded Saturday to Denver's AFC West rival Kansas City for a second-round pick. A source close to the situation told ESPN.com that the Broncos pursued the trade because McDaniels wanted to be reunited with Cassel, who excelled under McDaniels last season as an injury replacement for Tom Brady. In the aftermath of the trade Saturday, Cutler asked permission to find his own trade partner but was denied by the Broncos, according to the source. Cutler is still hopeful he will be traded because he feels betrayed by McDaniels, the source said. The source said Denver is no longer interested in dealing Cutler, who made the Pro Bowl in 2008, his second full season as a starter. The source said Tampa Bay, Detroit and Chicago could be possible destinations if Cutler gets his way and is traded. The source pointed out that until Cutler heard about the trade talks Saturday, he was completely happy playing for McDaniels and being in Denver. It may be difficult for Denver to trade Cutler now because there are no other quality quarterbacks available. It would be silly to trade him to the Lions for the No. 1 overall pick and try to draft Georgia's Matthew Stafford or USC's Mark Sanchez. Neither of those players is a known commodity, while Cutler has blossomed into one of the NFL's better quarterbacks. Denver has to regain Cutler's trust immediately or this could turn into one of the NFL's uglier situations. The source said that while Denver hopes to smooth the situation over, Cutler probably will seek to depart Denver as a restricted free agent in two years. Cutler signed a six-year deal with the Broncos after he was drafted with the No. 11 overall pick in 2006. The source said Cutler was hurt by the news that McDaniels wanted to start his Denver tenure with Cassel and not him. "The relationship has been tarnished," the source said. "I think it's beyond repair." Cutler expressed displeasure when Denver fired coach Mike Shanahan in December. However, he has been publicly supportive of McDaniels and had several good meetings with the coach in the weeks since McDaniels took over. The source said Cutler was confused by the trade talk. "It's like a knife to Jay's heart," the source said. "It will be hard for him to get past this." McDaniels will be able to get past this issue, but it may take some time. The Broncos sold McDaniels' hiring as a chance for Cutler to flourish. Seven weeks later, the pairing has taken a sudden and potentially disastrous turn

Jones has suitors but wants to stay with Bears Recommend (4) Comments March 1, 2009 BY BRAD BIGGS bbiggs@suntimes.com Kevin Jones never used his knee as an excuse last season, but he was eight months removed from surgery to repair a torn right anterior cruciate ligament when the season began. Now the running back is ready to show what kind of player he still is five years after being a first-round pick of the Detroit Lions. RELATED STORIES No reaching for the stars ''This is Kevin Jones' comeback year,'' Jones said Saturday from Blacksburg, Va., where he was visiting former college teammates at Virginia Tech. ''Whatever opportunity I get, it's going to happen.'' The Bears have offered him a contract to return, and he has received interest from the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, ''pretty much all the teams that need backs right now,'' Jones said. He doesn't have any scheduled visits and isn't putting a timetable on the process as he searches for a new deal with agent Drew Rosenhaus, whom he hired last season. The Bears used Jones sparingly, giving him 34 carries while Matt Forte got the bulk of the work. Jones was inactive for four games before going to Lovie Smith's office and asking for an opportunity to play special teams. He made an immediate impact in that role, and his role on offense might expand if he returns. General manager Jerry Angelo and Smith have said they want to have more of a two-back attack. ''I've been telling you all along, and you may have thought, 'This kid is crazy,' during last year, I want to come back to the Bears,'' Jones said. ''I like the staff; I like all the teammates. If you want an example of what an NFL team should be like, the coaching staff, everything, that's it. I'd love to be back, but sometimes business gets in the way. ''It's a negotiation process, and I am making sure I am in the right situation. The Bears expressed interest and I want to be back, but we've got to hammer out the paperwork. We'll see what happens.'' Jones would be in the mix with former third-round pick Garrett Wolfe to pick up some of Forte's work. Forte was fourth in the league with 316 carries. The Bears also are taking a wait-and-see approach with offensive lineman John St. Clair. Angelo expressed a desire to re-sign him, but it's not believed the team has moved off the original offer it made Feb. 13

IMHO if Sharper is cheap on a one year deal then do it just as long as you draft a FS like Burton or the guy from Clemson or Bryd all with 4.4 speed he could teach them for a year before they take over. . We need the 6-2 212lbs 4.4 Burton at FS I think or something close. I have watched many a Bears game where our FS is always a step slow getting to the ball like Brown was when we lost to the Falcons.Had he been faster he would have either tackled the guy in bounds or knocked the ball down.

Bears | Offer made to K. Jones Sat, 28 Feb 2009 23:34:38 -0800 Brad Biggs, of The Chicago Sun-Times, reports the Chicago Bears are trying to re-sign free-agent RB Kevin Jones and have offered him a contract. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NFL | K. Jones on a lot of wish lists? Sat, 28 Feb 2009 23:34:21 -0800 Brad Biggs, of The Chicago Sun-Times, reports the free-agent RB Kevin Jones (Bears) said he has received interest from the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears.

IMHI I would take Maclin or DHB with the first pick, but if they were gone I take OHER/Britton OT. Second RD I would get the best OT if I didn't get him in the first or the best WR, Third I would get either Bryd or Burton at FS and then (3b)the RB from Virigina if Jones leaves for FAThats three positions that we filled with good players and a RB to help Forte not being run into the ground. But what is we could get Michael Bush from the Raiders...that would be great

It won't be Clayton he re-signed with the Bucs

IMHO I think this just means that we are fixing the line problems and are going to draft one or maybe two linemen in the draft and or go after more in FA

Could the Chicago Bears gain from Tampa Bay's losses? By Vaughn McClure Looks like firing Jon Gruden wasn't the only house-cleaning going down in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers released five veterans, including star linebacker Derrick Brooks. Remember, Lovie Smith used to coach the linebackers in Tampa Bay and Brooks was one of his favorities. More intriguing are two Bucs set to becomes free agents at 11:01 p.m. on Thursday: receiver Michael Clayton and safety Jermaine Phillips. Both are far away in contract talks and would upgrade the Bears at their respective positions. The Bears seem content with what they have, but a tweak here and there sure wouldn't hurt.

Jerry Angelo wants John St. Clair back; Omiyale at guard By Vaughn McClure Bears general manager Jerry Angelo made it clear that the signing of Frank Omiyale did not mean the team will stop pursuing John St. Clair. "This has nothing to do with how we feel about John St. Clair," Angelo said Friday. "Really, when you go into negotiations, we can't determine the timetable on when we're going to get these deals done. ... We would have certainly liked to have gotten John St. Clair done first because we know John and feel real good about John." St. Clair was offered a three-year deal but became an unrestricted free agent late Thursday night. With John Tait expected to retire, the Bears want to bring St. Clair back to start at right tackle. Chris Williams, last year's first-round pick, is expected to start at left tackle. Angelo said Omiyale's immediate future is at guard.The team is not pleased with the performance of right guard Robert Garza, so Omiyale might have a chance to compete for a starting role there. If St. Clair doesn't re-sign, Omiyale could find himself starting at right tackle."We told him that we wanted to look at him at guard first,'' Angelo said of Omiyale. "But we're not going to limit him in terms of reps only at guard. ... We'll expose him to tackle, which is where he's been predominately playing. But we want to expose him to guard as well." Angelo admitted Omiyale is not a household name but was impressed with Omiyale's play at the end of the season with Carolina, especially when lined up at tackle opposite New Orleans defensive end Will Smith. As far as bringing in any other free agents, Angelo said he plans to monitor the situation, but the team won't jump to spend.

Eagles | Not interested in Houshmandzadeh Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:48:46 -0800 CSNPhilly.com reports the Philadelphia Eagles have informed free-agent WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh's (Bengals) agent, Kennard McGuire, they are not interested in Houshmandzadeh. According to sources, McGuire called the Eagles Friday, Feb. 27, and claimed his client was willing to sacrifice salary to play in Philadelphia. The team discovered that McGuire was asking more from them than he was other teams. Eagles | Housh wants to be an Eagle? Fri, 27 Feb 2009 10:39:52 -0800 Sheil Kapadia, of the Philadelphia Daily News, reports free-agent WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (Bengals) sent a text to ESPN950 Thursday, Feb. 26, stating, "I don't know what's gonna happen, if they want me I will be an Eagle tomorrow." NFL | Houshmandzadeh lists four teams as likely destinations Fri, 27 Feb 2009 10:45:32 -0800 Joe Reedy, of The Cincinnati Enquirer, reports free-agent WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (Bengals) listed the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings as places he would like to play during an interview on ESPN. Houshmandzadeh also said he would like to have a deal done by the end of the weekend.

Either KC or TB maybe the Jets

Bigger does not mean better my friend. Look at the Colts starting DE'S Freeny & Mathis. They are much smaller than the ones on your list but they get the job done. But for name sake wouldn't you just love to have a guy named Igor on the Monsters of the Midway? LOL .